| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Friday. Expected — A business announcement by Disney that it was scrapping plans to build a nearly $1 billion campus in central Florida and relocate as many as 2,000 employees from California got the expected reaction from those on each side of the Gov. Ron DeSantis divide. Response — Those who think the governor can do no wrong shrugged off the Disney news and blamed the media coverage. Those who think the governor can do no right — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom — blasted DeSantis and said the decision was a consequence of the ongoing feud between Florida Republicans and the entertainment giant. Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani called DeSantis a “job-killing moron.” Context — There have been signs that Disney would pull the plug on the project. It wasn’t something current CEO Bob Iger initiated and the company had planned to have the project finished by the end of 2022 but then pushed it back until 2026. And Disney is in the middle of a big cost-cutting exercise. But still — That doesn’t mean the hostilities between one of the state’s largest employers and a Republican governor that has led to multiple lawsuits didn’t factor at all into the decision-making process. Some of the coverage cited people inside of Disney who did acknowledge that the tug-of-war between the company and DeSantis played a role. Iger himself told investors in a call last week: “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people and pay more taxes or not?” More context — Some DeSantis defenders adopted a "well we didn’t want woke Californians moving here anyway." Of course, let’s point out that this project — and the substantial tax credits initially promised if it came to fruition — were given the green light during DeSantis’ first term. Yes, it was before the controversy over the Parental Rights in Education law also known as “don’t say gay” by its critics but the DeSantis administration did not take any steps to scuttle the deal. Quite a bit of support from the state — If the project had gone through, it would have resulted in nearly $600 million of tax credits going to Disney over the next 20 years. That kind of tax break for a huge corporation is usually the type of activity that raises the ire of progressives. Future world — But one can expect the Disney fallout to continue to be litigated and continue to be a key part of the political discourse for DeSantis as he embarks on a presidential run. Former President Donald Trump has already criticized DeSantis over his dealings with Disney so this will continue to be argued about in the months ahead. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to be in New Hampshire where he is meeting with legislators from that state. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL — “Disney pulls plug on $1 billion development in Florida,” by The New York Times’ Brooks Barnes: "On Thursday, [Bob] Iger and Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chairman, showed that they were not bluffing, pulling the plug on an office complex that was scheduled for construction in Orlando at a cost of roughly $1 billion. It would have brought more than 2,000 Disney jobs to the region, with $120,000 as the average salary, according to an estimate from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The project, near Lake Nona Town Center, was supposed to cost $864 million, but recent price estimates have been closer to $1.3 billion. Disney had planned to relocate as many as 2,000 employees from Southern California, including most of a department known as Imagineering, which works with Disney’s movie studios to develop theme park attractions." | | | DESANTISLAND | | |
PARTNERS — “The Casey DeSantis problem: ‘His greatest asset and his greatest liability,’” by POLITICO Magazine’s Michael Kruse: And it’s not just opponents and others with axes to grind who think this. “She is both his biggest asset and his biggest liability. And I say biggest asset in that I think she does make him warmer, softer,” Dan Eberhart, a DeSantis donor and supporter, told me. “But he needs to be surrounded with professional people, not just her,” he said. “I’ve heard from staffers frustrated that they think the governor’s made a decision, he talks to her, comes back, the decision is the opposite or different,” he said. “The sad part is I think she’s very smart. I think she’s very talented,” Eberhart said. “But she also needs to realize if they want to play on this stage, they need serious help. I worry that winning the gubernatorial race, winning the reelect, has made her overconfident in her ability to de facto run a presidential campaign.”
|  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis answer questions at a fundraiser moderated by Iowa Republican Chair Jeff Kaufmann in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. | Danny Wilcox Frazier for POLITICO |
THE PITCH — “‘Biden and me’: DeSantis privately tells donors Trump can’t win,” by The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan and Nicholas Nehamas: “Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida all but declared his presidential candidacy on Thursday afternoon, telling donors and supporters on a call that only three “credible” candidates were in the race and that only he would be able to win both the Republican primary and the general election. ‘You have basically three people at this point that are credible in this whole thing,’ Mr. DeSantis told donors on the call, organized by the super PAC supporting him, Never Back Down. ‘Biden, Trump and me. And I think of those three, two have a chance to get elected president — Biden and me, based on all the data in the swing states, which is not great for the former president and probably insurmountable because people aren’t going to change their view of him.’”
DEEP DIVE — “The DeSantis Project,” by Time’s Molly Ball: “Governor Ron DeSantis supports this bill, and therefore it is destined to pass. In Tallahassee these days, what the governor wants, the governor gets. It is DeSantis who welcomed this fight, DeSantis who calls the shots, and DeSantis who will reap the credit—or blame—for his latest move in a frenzy of right-wing policymaking. His dominance is hard to overstate. From school-board meetings to the Walt Disney Corp., the shelves of elementary-school libraries to local mask ordinances, everything bears his stamp. Having shepherded his state through the COVID-19 pandemic, bucking the political and medical establishments to follow his own read of the data, DeSantis has manipulated levers of power to enact a sweeping agenda.” WALKER — “Judge in Disney-DeSantis dispute known for torching GOP policies,” by Bloomberg Law’s Chris Marr: “Since joining the federal bench, [Chief U.S. District Judge Mark] Walker has found his decisions frequently at odds with the state’s Republican governors. His court has heard at least 34 cases in which the State of Florida is a defendant during the DeSantis and Rick Scott administrations, including 30 civil rights lawsuits, according to Bloomberg Law data. DeSantis denounced his March 2022 decision striking down parts of a Florida voting law as the ‘judicial equivalent of just pounding the table’ when the law and the facts aren’t on your side. Walker’s 300-page opinion suggested the election law was part of a long history of Florida Republicans disenfranchising Black voters.” — “DeSantis’ secret invitations for a Wednesday campaign announcement,” by The Messenger’s Marc Caputo — “Ready for Ron PAC can’t hand Ron DeSantis email addresses of ‘petition’ signers, federal court rules,” by Florida Politics’ Gray Rohrer — “Is this Ron DeSantis’s last chance for 2024?” by Washington Post’s Philip Bump — “As campaign launch nears, DeSantis looks to hit Trump in Iowa,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher and South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Anthony Man | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER REASONS — “Kathleen Passidomo says Legislature had ‘cojones’ to pass controversial bills this year,” by Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles: “Senate President Kathleen Passidomo called the 2023 Legislative Session a success because of the legislative and executive branches being in lockstep. ‘Some of it was controversial,’ she said. ‘But when you think about it, a lot of the things we did this Session were things that people were thinking about, but because of political correctness, didn’t have the capacity — or the cojones for that matter — to do it.’”
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House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo chat at the rostrum after a joint session for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' State of the State speech Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. | Phil Sears/AP Photo |
— “Federal judge to weigh temporary halt on transgender health care rules, law,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton
— “DeSantis gets bill to protect SpaceX, other firms from accident liability,” by News Service of Florida | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | WATCH THIS SPACE — Anti-abortion leaders worry they may have to oppose Trump if he doesn’t back national ban, by POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw and Natalie Allison: “Top anti-abortion leaders are continuing to lobby Donald Trump on a 15-week ban they believe should be the standard for the Republican Party. Their efforts come even as Trump has not only refused to embrace a ban but has framed some abortion legislation as electorally toxic. And it is being driven by a desire to avoid the politically uncomfortable spectacle of having to rebuke the man who not only delivered their movement its greatest win, but is likely to be the GOP’s presidential nominee. “We will oppose any presidential candidate who refuses to embrace at a minimum a 15-week national standard to stop painful late-term abortions while allowing states to enact further protections,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, has said of the organization’s 2024 strategy. — “Can Donald Trump run a good campaign ?,” by Semafor’s Shelby Talcott — “DeSantis is set to officially announce his presidential run just as 2024 frontrunner Trump readies his move north from Mar-a-Lago,” by Insider’s Kimberly Leonard
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | Transitions | | With help from POLITICO's Daniel Lippman Rep. Mike Waltz has announced a slew of staff changes: James Hewitt has been promoted to deputy chief of staff and will retain his duties as communications director.
Carl Schuler has been promoted to legislative aide while Emma Schmidt has been promoted to legislative correspondent. Brandi Anderson has been hired full-time as a constituent service representative in Waltz’s Ormond Beach district office. She previously served as a Gold Star fellow where she handled case work concerning veteran and military issues. Howard Senior has been promoted to be scheduler for Rep. María Elvira Salazar. He most recently was D.C. staff assistant for the Salazar. Sam Kuebler is now legislative director for Salazar. He most recently was policy adviser for Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.).
| | | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | | FALL ON ME — “2023 hurricane season: Fear rain as much as storm surge as climate change increases threat,” by Palm Beach Post’s Kimberly Miller: “For decades, most deaths in tropical cyclones were brine-choked drownings as saltwater surged over fringy coastlines tearing down beach homes and taking lives. But the scarier threat now may be coming from the sky. New numbers released at the Governor’s Hurricane Conference this month found that 57% of deaths directly attributable to tropical cyclones from 2013 through 2022 were from freshwater flooding caused by heavy rains. About 15% were from high surf or rip currents, 12% were from wind and 11% were from storm surge. Other causes included tornadoes, high lightning and unknown. It’s the first time in a decade that the National Hurricane Center did a comprehensive tally on the cause of storm-related deaths.” | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
FALLOUT — “‘We’re just people’: As care ban becomes law, trans Floridians face excruciating decisions,” by USA Today Network-Florida’s Kathryn Varn: “Rito Hendrix is trying not to panic. After knowing he was transgender since childhood, the 31-year-old finally built up the courage to start hormone replacement therapy. He visited a Planned Parenthood clinic near his home in rural Loxahatchee in Palm Beach County and began taking shots of testosterone. Just three months in, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” Hendrix said recently. But on Wednesday, with the stroke of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ pen, access to that gender-affirming health care for Hendrix and thousands of adults across Florida is in jeopardy.”
— “Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony won’t do settlement deal in ethics case, records show,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Lisa J. Huriash — “Kratom supplier owes millions to family of South Florida nurse who overdosed and died,” by Palm Beach Post’s Hannah Phillips — “Tampa Pride cancels Pride on the River event due to political climate,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Gabrielle Calise — “Disney World closing Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Dewayne Bevil | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — “Surf’s up! Florida’s St. George Island beach named nation’s best in annual ranking," by The Associated Press’ Curt Anderson: “A 9-mile stretch of Florida sugar-white sand in an unspoiled natural setting alongside the Gulf of Mexico is the nation’s best beach for 2023, according to the annual ranking released Thursday by the university professor known as ‘Dr. Beach.’ The state park on St. George Island just off the Florida Panhandle drew the top honor from Stephen Leatherman, professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University. This year’s top 10 list marks the 33rd year Leatherman has rated the best of America’s 650 public beaches around Memorial Day, the traditional start of summer.” BIRTHDAYS: Senate President Kathleen Passidomo … Rep. Greg Steube … Cynthia Barnett, journalist and author … Dana Kelly, public information officer for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement … Sarah Mueller (Saturday) State Rep. Anna Eskamani … State Sen. Jason Pizzo … Ida Eskamani, senior director of legislative affairs for State Innovation Exchange … Lauren Wolman of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office … (Sunday) Former Sen. George LeMieux … Former Rep. and Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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